Most people I know think of salads, vegetables, and fruit as rabbit food, believing that plant-based meals can’t be filling and satisfying. I disagree, of course. 😉
As I’ve mentioned here before, my favorite breakfast is a sandwich, and my favorite lunch option is a giant salad. How can those plant-based meals keep me full until the next snack or meal, and how come I’m not bored to death by eating the same things every day? Today I’m going to share some of my tricks below.
Recent breakfast: Whole grain bread with sunflower seed spread and cucumber for me on the right, cheese sandwich for the husband on the left.
Tip #1: Choose complex carbs. E.g. in the form of whole grains. They digest slowly, so they don’t send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster ride, but keep you full for quite a while. I love whole spelt bread, oats, brown rice, among others.
Tip #2: Include {good} fats, in reasonable amounts. Whole nuts and seeds, avocados, nut butters, and cold-pressed oils are generally the best options. How much fat someone needs varies greatly. Some people thrive on low-fat diets, while others need more fat for optimal health. I personally feel best somewhere in the middle.
Recent lunch: Big, colorful salad with lamb’s lettuce, quinoa, tomatoes, mushrooms, sunflower seeds.
Tip #3: Don’t forget about protein! While I’ve stopped worrying about getting enough protein quite a while ago, it’s still important to not totally ignore this macro nutrient. Plants generally contain less protein per gram than let’s say meat, fish, or eggs, but plant foods like beans, lentils, soy products (TVP, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy yogurt), nuts, seeds, whole grains (especially quinoa), and green vegetables do contain a significant amount of protein. In the end, it all adds up.
Tip #4: Eat a rainbow! In other words, try to eat a large variety of different foods, don’t eat the same things over and over again. With that approach you avoid getting bored and can increase your chances to get it all the nutrients that your body needs.
Recent dinner: Mexican-style pizza with homemade spelt flour crust.
Tip #5: Find delicious replacements! I love to use whole spelt flour instead of white wheat flour, soy yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, nutritional yeast instead of parmesan, rice milk instead of cow’s milk, Alsan instead of butter, TVP instead of ground meat, etc. The options are nearly endless! Experiment as much as you like, and find things that you enjoy.
Tip #6: Think outside the box! Who puts kidney beans and nutritional yeast on a pizza? Well, I do. And I will do it again, because it’s delicious. Embrace #StrangeButGood meal ideas and combinations!
Recent dessert: Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Yes!
Tip #7: Have a treat! There’s room for chocolate in every diet, or at least there should be, in my opinion. 😉
What would you like to add to that list?
See you!
Hooray for strange but good creations! I’m eating on right now that involves nooch and pizza. 🙂
Pizza for breakfast? I like that idea!
So many great tips! I especially like #7 😉
Life is not complete without a little treat. 😉
Lots of great ideas! I try and replace ingredients quite often, and am always so happy when it turns out well!
Thank you! I love it when a plan comes together. 😉
Great post and tips. I think the best one was just about swapping out ingredients for healthier versions. You’ll never tell the difference!
Thanks! Some of my creations even pass the co-worker test, and that says a lot.
Great ideas! For me, I think about ADDING and not SUBTRACTING with dieting. Add in fruits, vegetables, water, etc. 🙂 It works for me!
I love the adding instead of subtracting idea! That’s a great one!